• No Malice Palace

  197 E. 3rd St.; 212-259-9184

  At the East Village’s No Malice Palace, an egalitarian, no-cover door policy opens the dance floor to rap, soul, and reggaeton. Late weekend nights are typified by exciting runs of frenzy-inducing cuts from classic crowd-pleasers like Biggie, Jay-Z, and Snoop. And bouncers—very genial despite their intimidating size—are omnipresent, which keeps (unwanted) groping to a minimum. A less rap-centric alternative is Lit Lounge (93 Second Ave.; 212-777-7987), whose dark, low-ceilinged Eastern European vibe belies its tendency toward the Jackson 5 School of D.J.-ing. Top 40 and eighties hits get heavy rotation. And for an authentically jam-packed, sweaty, last-call-at-the-college-bar, “Like a Prayer” sing-along experience, try the basement of Niagara (112 Ave. A; 212-420-9517).

From the 2007 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine